Meaningful Conversations with our Children

I was reading Psalm 78 this morning. Here's some of what I read:

1 O my people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old-

3 what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.

5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,

6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

7 Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

8 They would not be like their forefathers—a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him.

I read this week that the average child has 3-5 minutes of meaningful conversation with his/her parents each week!

God commanded the Israelite fathers to teach their children the commands of God and to tell them the stories of God's mighty deeds so that they will "put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands."

It's seems that a lot of parents are scratching their heads and wondering, "What are we doing wrong?" "Why aren't my kids going to church anymore?" "Why don't my children love God like I love God?"

Maybe it's just that we aren't talking to them enough and about the right things.

Maybe it's because we'veinadvertentlyy taught them--through our actions--that God is a father with every-other-weekend visitation rights with whom we don't speak much and of whom we say even less?